OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.41°N, 2.00°WEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-14.9° (−12° to −18°)

20:33:53

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 15m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:15

Civil Dusk19:43

Nautical20:15

Full Dark20:47

Nadir01:52

Dark Ends06:57

Nautical07:29

Civil Dawn08:01

Sunrise08:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE29.9°

DISTANCE379,848 km

Moonrise17:42

Moonset06:26

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX46% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Madrid

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-20.3°	264°	Libra	08:51	13:46	18:42	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.6°	340°	Leo	02:46	09:43	16:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	22.1°	109°	Pisces	18:31	00:38	06:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-29.7°	351°	Cancer	01:58	09:09	16:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-6.7°	248°	Libra	10:26	15:10	19:54	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.4°	58°	Taurus	20:48	04:10	11:35	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	25.9°	116°	Pisces	18:08	00:09	06:09	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:42

BEST TIME23:58S · 51° high

SETS06:26

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:46

BEST TIME09:43S · 63° high

SETS16:38

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:31

BEST TIME00:38S · 50° high

SETS06:45

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:51

BEST TIME13:46S · 31° high

SETS18:42

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:58

BEST TIME09:09S · 67° high

SETS16:18

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.